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Copa del Rey Final: Athletic Bilbao v FC Barcelona

The Mestalla Stadium will witness a very interesting game on Wednesday 13, as Athletic Bilbao will face FC Barcelona to decide who deserves the Copa del Rey title. Both sides have won the prestigious domestic cup more times than other team in Spain, and with 24 King’s Cup trophies each, it is clear that the competition between both teams will get hotter and hotter as the final draws nearer and nearer.

Barcelona’s strength this season

It will be Pep Guardiola’s ideal chance to finish the first part of a possible treble for his club; however, though his players seem to be aware of the importance of the encounter, it is very unlikely that the Basques will bow down before Barcelona’s greatest stars.

It is true that Barcelona has had an incredible season so far, and their success has enabled them to be the only side in Europe’s major leagues to look forward to a treble, this season.

The Catalans’ quest for European glory continues after they eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League in the semifinals of the competition; moreover, they currently occupy the first place in the La Liga table with 85 points after 34 games played.

In addition, their devastating form has led them to Copa del Rey final. In fact, it wasn’t just luck which made them reach such a stage this season, but it was also hard work, which paid off.

Barcelona’s road to the final of the Copa Del Rey

Athletic Madrid were Barcelona’s first opponents from the first division, in the Copa del Rey Nevertheless, the result from the two legs didn’t proved to be as tight as most fans expected it to be. With Messi scoring a hat trick in the first leg, the Madrid club went on to loose 5-2 on aggregate.

Barcelona then happened to meet their city rivals Espanyol in the quarterfinals of the competition. This time, a 0-0 home draw in the first leg match could have ended Guardiola’s road to the final, but then, a 3-2 win away from home secured his side a spot into the semifinals.

Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, Barcelona, and Real Mallorca were then the only teams left in the last four.

Thenceforward, the Catalans were set to battle a place for the final against Mallorca. Of course, everyone knew that this wasn’t going to be easy for Pep Guardiola’s men, but Barcelona proved to everyone that they could do anything. A dramatic 3-1 win on aggregate was more than enough to seal a trip to the Mestalla.

They now have a single match left in the competition, and their opponents can be none other than Athletic Bilbao, who surprisingly crushed Sevilla in the semifinals.

Bilbao’s road to the Mestalla

Athletic Bilbao also had a great achievement in the Copa del Rey, and having invested all they had in the competition, it is obvious that they deserve to be in the final.

Their first last 16 match wasn’t too satisfying though, as a 1-1 draw against Osasuna didn’t look very promising for their fans; nonetheless, a 2-0 win in the second leg was surely a sign of a great improvement.

Founding themselves in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, the Basques knew that they couldn’t give up. Even if a 0-0 home draw against Sporting Gijon in their first leg match of the last 8 didn’t seem enough, a 2-0 win away from home looked like a perfect response

Then, came their big moment…

Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao was their biggest challenge; nevertheless, the Basques couldn’t really be called the underdogs. Although the Andalusians imposed themselves with a win in their home, Bilbao certainly made them made pay back for their daring. A 3-0 win back at Bilbao was surely the perfect way to cause an upset.

The Basques now have a precious ticket to the final, which is set to take place on Wednesday 13.

Courage, faith, and glory

"It means a lot. The cup is Athletic Club's competition…"

This sentence was mentioned by Joaquin Caparros – Athletic Bilbao’s coach – while speaking to Barca TV about the crucial game.

Yes indeed, it is undeniable that Caparros’ desire of holding the cup is strong. Surely, it is strong enough to turn Guardiola’s dream of getting the treble into a nightmare.

"This final means a lot for football and for us even more so because of all the hard work behind it.", he said.

"We have to be collectively strong and have belief. We know that it will be difficult because FC Barcelona is FC Barcelona, but if we ourselves do not believe, then we will not be able to win.

"In a one-off game any side can beat any other side in the world. We have to have faith and on a collective level be 100 per cent."

Indubitably, his thirst for the Copa del Rey trophy has reached all his players… Fernando Llorente, his main striker, has also expressed his wish and belief to be victorious on Wednesday night.

"This final is the most important thing that will happen in my life”, he told Barca TV.

“We have incredible supporters and in the semi-final against Sevilla they lifted us. They carried us forward.”

“If we can play like we did against Sevilla in the second game of the semi-final, then we have no limits. Barca are a great side and they will be looking to win, but we will do everything we can.”

So, these statements from the Basques side are unquestionably serious warnings to Barcelona, and the fact that Athletic Bilbao do not have much to benefit from next year – as they currently lie eleventh with only 41 points from 34 games – shows that Wednesday’s game will be surely be one where they will show their real side.

In the end, no one can really expect anyone to win, as the match could go either way.

Written by Isaac Asante